Brand Spur Issue 5 | Page 111

BE GLOBAL: This Nigerian Entrepreneur Says Your Coconut Water Is Finished Ganiu Ladejobi is disrupting the healthy beverage industry with a new addition Coconut, guava, and tamarind are top ranking healthy fruit juices we can find in most local stores—but sugarcane? Sugarcane juice is growing in popularity, as avid entrepreneurs—like Ganiu Ladejobi—rush to be at the front of the billion-dollar healthy beverage market. “Sweet juice from farm fresh sugarcane stalks” is how Ladejobi describes the juices his company, Sugarcane Island, makes and sells. After a trip to Nigeria, which is where he is originally from, Ladejobi missed the taste of cold pressed sugarcane juice free from additives, preservatives, or added sugar. After looking to no avail, Ladejobi claims to have become frustrated in his search. So, he decided to make it himself for his family and friends. He not only quenched his thirst, but also vitalized his business acumen by spotting this opportunity. Peterson Lochard (left), Mackenzie Bien-Aime (middle), Ganiu Ladejobi (right); Images: Jerry Jean